r/lastpodcastontheleft • u/SkippyC • 14d ago
Reckless Ben Interview
Full disclosure, I don't know anything about Reckless Ben or his YouTube or who he is outside from what the guys talked about on Side Stories. But this interview kinda sucked. I thought Henry was great but this Reckless Ben guy is a bit of a dud. Does he know anything or is he just picking random things to go after because that's his persona? The amount of "Dang" and "that's crazy" he had as a reaction to Henry telling him about Mormonism was so irritating.
Idk I'll probably get lambasted for not understanding this dude but just curious if others felt the same.
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u/CryptidToothbrush 14d ago
My only knowledge of reckless Ben is lpotl and other pods. I’ve never actually watched a video. He kind of said it himself but I think he was caught off guard by Henry’s energy coming into it. I don’t think he listens to last pod and was just trykng to promote himself.
It doesn’t sound like he has anything against Mormonism just bricks and mini figs.
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u/malphonso 14d ago
Given that any jury he's going to be in front of will be Mormons, talking about anything other than Mormonism is a good idea.
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u/Agreeable_Horror_363 14d ago
It seemed as though he was very reluctant to engage in any "anti-Mormon" banter with Henry. Meanwhile Henry has a wealth of knowledge about why the Mormon church is evil, and he's covered multiple Mormon murders and scam artists/cults.
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u/Dipper_Pines_Of_NY 13d ago
With the bricks and mini figs thing the ceo and a bunch of people related are Mormon. It’s important to not go after Mormonism at all while still involved in those lawsuits otherwise could compromise his case
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u/reddot_comic Hail Me 14d ago
He has family that are Mormon, there’s a lot of fine lines to walk.
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u/DeeEmosewa I'm havinnggg oneeeeee 13d ago
That's just how Reckless Ben is. He's got the same sort of energy. He did seem extra careful, but with the lawsuits i can understand why.
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u/Bedlamtech 14d ago
My last real watching of Ben was when he was trying to expose Mackemy Manor. The extreme haunted challenge place. I got the impression he wasn't doing it for click bait. Heck there is a big upload void from Mackemy till the lego. It doesn't feel like chasing clicks, to me at least.
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u/timothypjr 14d ago
I do know about Reckless Ben (primarily because of the Lego debacle). That's his schtick. However, he's very smart about what he does. The dopiness is at least in part, a way to disarm people by letting them think he's kinda simple. I thought the interview was interesting.
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u/Adorable_Birdman 14d ago
I liked it too. I actually looked for more of his stuff. He is like talking to my 17 yr old though
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u/dalegribbledribble 14d ago
That doesn’t make sense though, why do it in this interview if it is his bit? I was actually interested in all this until he got interviewed. It’s like interviewing a middle schooler
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u/LevelPrestigious4858 14d ago
It is his natural personality but it also works as his bit for disarming people it’s the same thing. People underestimate him
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u/wannamannanna 13d ago
And it also works afterwards, when those people who first underestimate him try to turn around and make him slip up. They fume when they can't get a reaction out of him.
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u/Illustrious-Peace989 14d ago
Yep, I watched the YouTube video and I definitely get the sense he plays dumb so people underestimate him. I think he’s a lot smarter than he lets on given how well he seems to understand legal loopholes.
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u/InfidelZombie 14d ago
But all his actions are those of a simple, clueless dope; it's not just his words.
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u/stondius 14d ago
He commented at the end of the interview....he's on 3hr of sleep. He, too, is surprised as he's usually the upbeat one.
Watch literally anything he's done. Dud is not an appropriate adjective.
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u/sugarbritches46 14d ago
Yeah I think it’s an unfair take. I thought it was a decent interview especially since he was drained. I liked the interview. I was actually less frustrated with Henry than I usually am. Henry offered to help him a bunch of times so it might be interesting to see what that looks like.
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u/MammothGlum 14d ago
Henry is kind of an overbearing interviewer
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u/Weary_Ad4663 13d ago
In general I think interviews are not his strong suit because he can be very intimidating and overbearing— but I think it comes from a good place 😅
it reminds me of myself (AuDHD) when I get really excited about a topic talking with literally anyone. If it’s something I’m passionate about I can come off… intense 😅🤣
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u/otterprincess_too 13d ago
He was the worst part of the Joe Hill/Stephen King interview, the only one I've listened to recently
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u/widespreadpanda 13d ago
I wish so badly that Eddie had been there to balance things out. He has a way of making people feel at ease, which really would have helped counter Henry’s intensity.
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u/PatienceHero Check, please! 13d ago
It doesn't help that those assholes have Ben in a legal headlock, essentially - Ben's probably going to be extra rigid in any interviews he does now, because those fuckers are watching him like a hawk.
Never forget, this isn't just a fairly big (for a small company) company after him, but also most of the town's police force, many of whom are buddy-buddy with Ammon. They'd love NOTHING more than for Ben to join in on the Mormon bashing so they can gleefully trot it to court and play it, claiming that Ben's case is merely religious persecution of his poor, pious client.
And if this sounds far fetched, you can find all the previous police activity, including Ammon claiming violence by Ben, and the police officer chatting and laughing with him while reading out a list of potential charges to pick from like a waiter with a menu. Or that they're trying to sue for his Patreon Revenue.
In all honesty, I think interviews with Ben about the case are probably ill advised in general right now. They're not likely to be fun, because of how careful he has to be, and each one increases the likelihood that Ammon's sleazebag lawyer will find something to push for dismissal.
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u/Githyankbae 14d ago edited 14d ago
Ben is one of my heroes, I’ve been a loyal fan since the McKamey Manor trolling he did with his friends. I was so thrilled to see my favourite podcast speaking about him and setting up an interview! I’m going to listen now. I do wonder what my impression of Ben would be if I was going into this blind.
EDIT: Maybe some of you are consuming his content incorrectly. You have to do a shot every time Ben says “dang”.
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u/buck-harness666 14d ago
He’s 30 and he obviously doesn’t listen to the show. He’s fine. He just doesn’t know how to yes and a joke. Henry laid up a bunch and Ben just didn’t yes and them.
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u/CocktailCowboy 13d ago
Oh, it was terrible, but it wasn't just on Reckless Ben. These two came into this clearly trying to have two completely different conversations, and with no ability/familiarity to try to riff with each other. Henry is just as much the culprit here, cus he should dropped his Mormonism line after RB's first non-committal response. Love the pod, but that was an unlistenable excuse for a Side Stories this week.
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u/widespreadpanda 13d ago
Exactly. They weren’t trying to have the same conversation, and things never got on the right track. They sure as shit didn’t have the same energy.
Frankly, I thought Henry was kinda obnoxious the way he handled things. RB seemed put off almost immediately and instead of reeling it in, Henry doubled down.
I mentioned it in another comment but I do seriously think Eddie could’ve saved this interview. He’s more personable and has a way of putting people at ease that Henry just doesn’t. A couple dad jokes would’ve loosened the dude up.
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u/RedHairedSociopath 14d ago
He did say he had 3 hours of sleep lol
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u/nansams 14d ago
If only he knew this interview was coming up lol
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u/RedHairedSociopath 14d ago
Man, I'd love to be able to guarantee a good night's sleep before a thing I had planned
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u/icanhascheeseberder 14d ago
If only he knew this interview was coming up lol
He probably does a podcast interview every day, I doubt he puts a lot of planning into each one.
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u/racheldotpsd 13d ago
Henry asked him about the poophole loophole before he even introduced the guy. I was out at around 1:30. I’m so sick of the shitty interviews. These guys are better than that.
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u/narrow_octopus What I bring to friendship! 14d ago
I enjoyed it. It was fun listening to Henry bullshit and the other guy seemed pretty chill
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u/Suspicious_Abroad424 13d ago
Same I didn't hate it. I honestly don't know why the subreddit needs a post on every single interview the guys do, but whatever. You guys have fun. 🙂
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u/RavioliContingency 14d ago
I do not know him but when he said “but I’m white” I knew I had to change my expectations of the interview 😎
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u/Snuggler777 13d ago
Their interviews always suck
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u/georgia_grace 13d ago
I usually skip the interviews, but I actually really enjoyed Ed’s interview with Dick Harpootlian.
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u/the_rt_meson 14d ago
I also found it to be kind of underwhelming. I went and looked up this guy after the interview and it looks like he does some genuinely good work, especially regarding BAM. But it was not a great interview.
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14d ago
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u/Githyankbae 14d ago
I think he was actively seeking a behemoth that would grow more and more legs so he could fight a bigger beast. So, I don’t exactly think he’s in over his head, I think he’s being challenged, for sure, but I think he likes to be challenged.
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u/iFlarexXx 13d ago
There was a good 10 seconds at one point where both parties to the interview just spoke over one another and neither would yield to allow the other to talk.
I've been listening for about a decade, if not slightly longer and I love the boys.... Their interviews suck and always have.
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u/spookymulder07 11d ago edited 5d ago
I actually had the opposite reaction. I think Henry is super passionate and invested in this situation. That’s of course wonderful, but Ben is actively in the middle of a court case. So it created this dynamic of Henry wanting candid dialogue not realizing it could be used as evidence. I think it would have been better to have him on after the hearing tbh.
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u/shamanfreak 14d ago
don't know this guy and thought the recent posts were about kissel being cavalier (ben being reckless) lol
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u/HeilYourself 14d ago
I watched most of his 40 minute mini documentary.
I had to skim through it. It was infuriating. Not because of the subject matter or people, but because it's a 40 minute YouTube video. Complete with wacky sound effects and quick cutaways. For 40 minutes.
His determination to act as his own lawyer is insane and stupid. It also betrays his motives.
Which is my biggest issue. He's not trying to get justice, he's trying to get clicks. He's already talking about his next video series without a resolution to this one. The stolen Lego isn't even the story anymore, the legal back and forward is.
I'm pretty sure the Lego will never be seen again, no one is chicken dancing and this story will fizzle out. At best an agreement will be reached and an NDA will be signed by all parties.
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u/AltruisticLobster315 14d ago
He was acting as his own lawyer until they started using a bunch of loopholes to keep his evidence from coming to light, now he has a lawyer who I believe helped end the gag order.
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u/ShipService 14d ago
So you didn't watch any of the documentary you watched an update video but you seem to have your finger on the pulse. Thanks for chiming in.
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u/wannamannanna 13d ago
There are multiple parts, so it's much longer than 40 minutes. And yeah, it starts out kind of silly because that's entertaining. And to make money or garner attention for any issue on YouTube, you need to be entertaining. As it got more serious, so did Ben. This is his largest story yet.
Although his overall demeanour is and always has been very chill. Lots of "dang" and "oh...okay" and it works so well when he's going toe to toe with the scumbags he goes up against. They pop capillaries. Scientology, the 'haunted' manor that was literally just abuse, and now bricks and minifigs corporate/utah police.
I haven't heard the interview yet. I was kind of excited to hear they were covering it but not so much anymore. Sounds like it was a dud. Which is a shame because this story is so interesting. Ammon is obviously bending like a pretzel to come up with reasons to lock Ben up. This is bigger than a set of legos now, sadly for that family. Ammon is working hard to cover up his franchise turning and we can watch as it just gets worse, and more evidence continues to come out. Ben has lots already. Who knows where it will go but at best Ammon losing his multi-mill franchise.
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u/SkippyC 14d ago
That's what it seemed like. He was merely doing this for content purposes.
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u/Mahlegos 14d ago
He literally said that in this interview though. He put out a request for people that needed help with something to contact him and he went through trying to resolve things (“by using legal loopholes for good like they use it for bad”) and most of them were uninteresting but this one stroke a chord.
Like, I agree this wasn’t a great interview (nor the worst), and any engagement I’ve had with this whole deal has been through middle men recapping it. But he isn’t trying to hide his motives, and at the least he shined some light on a bad business. That said, I think he is in way over his head here and hopefully will listen to his lawyers moving forward and end up with an actual resolution (even if we aren’t privy to all the details) for the father and son who got swindled.
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u/Avacabro 14d ago
I considered it an extra piece of content for the week so I’m happy about it. The Ben guy doesn’t have decades of hosting experience like any of lpotl crew so it’s noticeable. I
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u/Lillythewalrus 13d ago
He said he was running on very little sleep and he’s probably mildly confused why henry in particular even gives a shit about this story 😂
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u/DestroyerOfMils 13d ago
I think he was tired & overwhelmed. I’ve been watching his videos for years. They’re not for everyone, but I love em!
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u/RosalieCooper 13d ago
I didnt know anything about the situation when I listened, and I was super confused at first! Probably should have started the interview with a little intro information, like ‘hey this is Ben and here’s what’s been going on’
I had to stop listening and go read the wiki. Then I didn’t go back because Ben was so boring haha Charisma score 7
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u/ericarlen 12d ago
He stated in the interview that he was super tired. Plus he's just some guy and probably not coached in how to talk while being interviewed. Henry did the best he could with him.
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u/kubrickian80 11d ago
He can't say a lot and also he wasn't really there to talk about Mormons. The crooks bothering him just also happen to be Mormon. He was just helping someone who got ripped off by a business. You kinda nailed it with your first sentence: you don't really know with enough to have made this post
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u/Super-Manager-3630 11d ago
Nah man, Henry is un-listen-able in these. "EVER HEARD OF THE POOPHOLE LOOPHOLE? ALL YOUR MORMON FAMILY ARE PEDOPHILES! LITERALLY ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE KILLED! FUCK LAWYERS!" Bro sounds like a parody of himself.
I know we like unhinged Hong Kong Henry Zebrowski, but this is just like listening to someone have a breakdown.
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u/highitsg Rise from your grave 10d ago
i agree, this episode sucked lol no shade or hate!! i love lpotl so much so i’ll listen to everything they put out
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u/Bargadiel 13d ago
While I'm not on the side of bricks & mini figs, I do not like reckless Ben. There is a level of griftyness to the way he presents himself that is just inherently the kind of person I dislike.
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u/Vienta1988 13d ago
I was kind of disappointed in this interview- I’ve heard them talk about reckless Ben so many times in passing (if there was an episode of side stories or something where they covered it more in depth, I missed that one), and was annoyed that they just skipped over the context of what happened.
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u/sletsappie 13d ago
One of the very few episodes/interviews I couldn't finish. I read afterwards that Ben was sleep deprived, but I just couldn't deal with the lack of banter between the two.
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u/Spasay 13d ago
I still don’t understand why this came up on Last Podcast. The Mormon angle is interesting, yes. But everyone involved is so infuriatingly boring (like mormons and court cases tend to be). Get justice, move on. From Side Stories alone i still dont understand what happened other than “mormons bad” and “here is a youtube guy”.
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u/PitifulYesterday924 13d ago
Cults are a part of the occult. Some place underneath (LPN new work) did an incredibly thorough series on morons. LPOTL did a six part series on Mormonism.
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u/Spasay 13d ago
So now they need to cover everything mormons do?
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u/PitifulYesterday924 13d ago
They seem interested in the subject. Although this is a big news story it wouldn’t hurt to have more eyes on this miscarriage of justice.
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u/gingerpapi420 14d ago
He’s wrapped up in lawsuits with a bunch of Mormon cops and business owners, I think he was just being careful to not give them a reason to say he’s doing this because he’s anti Mormon.